General Motors launches two Subaru sports models
JAKARTA (JP): American giant automaker General Motor Corp. is introducing two sports cars, the Subaru Impreza WRX and the Subaru Forester, to strengthen its foothold in the country's auto market.
Geoff Bedford, director of sales operations for GM Asia Pacific said the Subaru brand would add to the list of GM's products available on the domestic market, which currently includes Opel and Chevrolet.
"We've studied the opportunities that are available here for GM within three years. And we think it is the right time for us to enter the country's auto market now," Bedford told reporters during the launching of the Subaru cars.
Bedford said that orders were already being taken for the two Subaru models at prices of Rp 410.8 million (US$36,300) off the road for the Impreza WRX, and Rp 261.9 million ($23,000) off the road for the Forester.
"The two models will be available in September at our sole dealers when the first shipment of 32 units arrives," he said.
The Impreza WRX is a sporty sedan with a turbocharged 2.0 liter horizontally opposed 16-valve DOHC engine, while the other Subaru vehicle, the Forester, is powered by a 2.0 liter, horizontally opposed 4-cylinder 16-valve engine. The Forester uses a 5-gear manual transmission.
Kris A. Mayer, director sales, marketing, and after-sales service at General Motors Indonesia (GMI), said the company projected it would sell around 30 Subaru cars per month during the first stage of the promotion effort.
"But, we are sure that the sales will grow further," he said, declining to specify the sales target.
Mayer said the distribution of Subaru cars by General Motors in the country was part of the strategic alliance between General Motors and Japanese firm Fuji Heavy Industries which is now 20 percent owned by General Motors following a $1.4 billion share acquisition last year.
The Subaru cars are made by the automotive division of the Japanese firm.
According to data from the Association of Indonesian Automotive Industries (Gaikindo), GMI sold 333 units of its Chevrolet models and 998 units of its Opel models in the first six months of the year.
Asked whether the country's increasingly uncertain political situation would affect sales, Mayer said the automotive market in the second half of the year would be slower than the first half.
He explained that domestic car sales this year would be lower than last year as all macroeconomic indicators would tend to pressure car sales, echoing similar concerns by some automotive market analysts.
Automotive analysts have expressed doubts over Gaikondo's optimism that car sales would reach 280,000 units this year, an upward revision of the initial projection of 250,000 units.
Mayer said that car sales this year would fall by between 15 percent and 18 percent as compared to last year's sales of 300,000 units.
"Despite the market weakening, car sales will still hover at around 20,000 units per month," Mayer said, saying that with such a level of sales, the country's auto market was still good for business. (03)